The Power of Gods, not Kings
by Write-It Ralph
Summary: That day had changed everything. That day, Suzaku and I found that rune. That day, my life was threatened by the Royal Guard. That day, I killed my own brother. That day, I was visited by the Outsider, and he gave me his Mark.
1. Chapter 1

**If you choose to read my story, I would like to ask that you post of a review. It really helps.**

**Even if you read the first few lines and are absolutely appalled, please say so and think of a way I can improve my writing. Thanks.**

* * *

"Alpha Dog this is 404. I repeat, Alpha dog this is 404. I have spotted the target."

"Roger that 404."

The call sign, known to Britannian communications as "Alpha dog," traced unit 404's position and relayed it to the G1 command center, call sign, "White Knight." Prince Clovis himself ordered the deployment of the Royal Guard. Whoever had caused this incident won't be able to escape without divine intervention.

"404, this is Alpha Dog, I repeat, 404, this is Alpha Dog. Your orders are to secure the target and wait for extraction by the Royal Guard, over."

Unit 404, Suzaku Kururugi, magnified his view of the target, a white trailer supposedly carrying poison gas, removed from a Britannian research facility by a Japanese terrorist group. What did they hope to accomplish by this? He wondered. Use it on innocent civilians who did nothing to deserve death? Inner rage threatened release, but he held it down. He had a mission to complete and lives to save. He tried refocusing on his target.

He couldn't see anything. Too dark. Only the background white of the trailer itself could be made out.

"Thermal vision, activated," relayed a feminine voice. As of late, Britannian standard issue helmets came with voice recordings to announce when different actions were taken, such as using thermal or night vision. The 21st century was all about aesthetics.

Suzaku surveyed what laid ahead. No heat signatures except the "poison gas" container and…

There was someone over there! And they were attempting to release the gas! Even in the tunnels of the abandoned subway, a biochemical weapon could reach the surface and cause untold death and destruction. Suzaku didn't have a rifle with him, but he did not fear death. He had to prevent the gas from being used.

"Stop!"

Lelouch Lamperouge turned around to catch a single glance of a soldier's foot reaching his face. Before he opened his eyes again, this faceless soldier already had him pinned, his weight enough to hold him down. Curse his scrawny teenage body!

"That's enough mindless murder!"

This Britannian soldier was chastising him about mindless murder?

"Get off me!"

The soldier complied, taking a leap and landing on his feet a few meters back, but Lelouch doubted that he did so because of his order. Lelouch raised himself. If this soldier wanted to play the game of who has the moral high ground, he would oblige.

"I'm not here by choice, and if that's poison gas it was made in Britannia wasn't it? Mindless murder…then why don't you just obliterate Britannia!"

Suzaku couldn't believe it. After years of being apart, he here was.

"My god…Lelouch, it's me…Suzaku."

* * *

While two old friends convened for the first time in over 7 years, a third party stirred. A god, in scale of power, and yet, an outcast. A leviathan, with his origins in the eternal ocean of the Void. A being with a personality that can only be described as, "part devil, part angel, and entirely ambiguous." He took an interest in interesting people, and as luck, or perhaps, fate, would have it, two very interesting people were meeting, in very interesting circumstances.

The god of the Void was a little taken aback. Here he was, minding his own business when these two humans decided to interrupt. He forgave them, for what he saw made him smirk with delight. The eternal boredom of the void was at a close.

_Oh Corvo…while you were alive, you fascinated me. _

_I had never laid my eyes upon a man as nearly as intriguing as you. _

_I was almost scared that once you died, no one interesting would ever spring up again. _

_Alas, here I am, my hopes rekindled. _

_Not only one, but two have arisen, and from a world that I believed had stagnated from its constant warfare and destruction._

Two boys.

One: a soldier who had killed his father in order to stop a terrible war.

The other: a prince, dishonored, and wishing revenge against his father for his sins.

_This will be fun, indeed._

* * *

"You…you became a Britannian soldier?"

"Yeah and what about you? You're a…"

_I do not have time to watch you two bicker over silly things. _

_I think it's about high time I give a little push to move things on a bit._

"What are you saying!?"

Both Lelouch and Suzaku felt a presence. Something indescribable. But what really had their attention, was the device that supposedly contained poison gas. It was opening.

Before Lelouch could react, Suzaku had him on the ground with a gas mask around his face. You could imagine their bewilderment when they weren't greeted with toxins, but a carved piece of whale bone. Some would call it a rune.

Lelouch and Suzaku were both drawn to it, like insects to a lamp. When they focused, they couldn't see it, but they knew, if you saw it through your peripheral vision, there was a dark aura encircling it, like a ripple around an object in water.

Perhaps the oddest part of it all was the song that Lelouch swore was coming from the mystical object. Lelouch asked Suzaku if he heard it as well, and he did. A tune, eerie and dark, almost as if it being played broke the boundaries between worlds.

What a strange thing it was. Lelouch reached out to touch it, but then…

"Stinking monkey!"

The Royal Guard had arrived. 10 of them at least, all armed, with an officer at the head of the spear that trapped them from behind.

"Being an honorary Britannian will not excuse you!"

Suzaku rode to meet the captain face to face.

"But sir! I was told this was poison gas!"

"How dare you question orders!?" The captain barked.

This was bad. Lelouch feared that Suzaku and he would die this very moment. He had to help, but how? If only he had power!

"Though, on account of your outstanding military achievements, I'm going to be lenient," the captain said, "Private Kururugi, take this pistol and execute the terrorist."

Both Lelouch and Suzaku were wide-eyed.

"But he's not a terrorist! He's a civilian who got caught up in all this!"

Lelouch knew Suzaku well. He would rather take the bullet himself than give it to someone else, perhaps even if said bullet was headed for his mortal enemy.

_And that is why he would make a very unique bearer of the mark, don't you think?_

"You insubordinate little…that's an order!" The captain's voice echoed. Suzaku stood still and silent, in contemplation.

"I'm sorry sir. I can't. I won't shoot a civilian." With this Suzaku faced Lelouch, revealing a solemn look.

"Very well…"

Suzaku fell to the ground, a bullet in his back, shot by no other than the menacing captain.

_It's amusing when these humans are so sure of themselves that they know something, when, in fact, the opposite is true. Ironic, isn't it?_

"NO!"

"Men, take the object from the boy. Once it's removed from his possession, kill him."

As one falls to the ground, presumably dead, another one very close by, presumably dead, arises from the seat of a wrecked truck. He mutters some words and flips a switch, becoming a burning martyr as he gazes at a picture of his wife.

When the smoke cleared, Lelouch was gone along with the rune. White Knight was called up and informed about the situation. Orders were shouted across the radio and a man was threatened with demotion.

_I've never been able to understand why humans get so riled up when something doesn't go their way. Clovis is especially immature about it. Blaming another for something beyond his control…_

Lelouch was trapped and scared. He followed the dirty underground tunnels and found an exit only for the Royal Guard to have caught up with him on the other side! They were so close he could hear them speaking to one another!

"-are you sure?"

"Yes sir. It matches our map of the old city."

They hadn't noticed him yet. Maybe if he stayed quiet he could—

Ring ring. Ring ring. Lelouch's phone was ringing. Shutting it off neither prevented the Royal Guard from finding him nor a girl on the other end of the call to become quite pissed off. Lelouch cursed that stupid girl aloud as the kind gentleman in the Royal Guard threw him against the rusty wall of the warehouse. The ground was stained with Japanese blood and filled with Japanese corpses. All of them, civilians.

"What an appropriate location for a terrorist to meet his end." The commander said matter-of-factly.

Lelouch spit out a slight curse, which only succeeded in a beating from one of the guardsmen.

"I must say," the commander continued, a pistol in his right hand, "You did well for a student, but that's to be expected of you. You're a Britannian. Unfortunately, my clever young friend, you have no future."

"How can this be happening? First Suzaku's killed, and now I'm about to die before having a chance to do a single thing with my life. It's gone in a heartbeat. Nunnally…No…"

Lelouch readied himself to meet the Void, and when he opened his eyes, he indeed was in the Void.

* * *

A floating chunk of rock in an endless expanse of blue nothingness. No sounds except the wind blowing past his ears. Was this hell? Was he cursed to live here forever to suffer from boredom?

_Hello, Lelouch_.

Lelouch turned to face the origin of the voice. A young man, dark hair, brown jacket, pale skin, and black eyes, levitated off the ground like he was suspended by wire. The same aura that he swore surrounded the rune was encircling this man, albeit much more distinct. Lelouch wasn't surprised. He expected no less from the Devil himself. The man only laughed slightly.

_I assure you, I am not the Devil. _

_Far from it, in fact._

Lelouch raised a brow. Those eyes carried many things behind them. Many things that he could not deduce.

_My dear Lelouch._

_Your life has taken a turn, has it not? _

_Your mother is dead, your sister is crippled._

_And to top it off, your father won't lift a finger._

Lelouch's eyes flickered at the mention of his mother, Marianne, and his sister, Nunnally. The being paused, inspecting Lelouch with those eyes like black holes. Soon he returned to speaking.

_Yes, I know very much about your past. _

_Just one look at you and I see everything._

Lelouch flinched to the sound of the last note. The way this man, or rather, demon, said "everything" was irritating, like the sound of nails on chalkboard, only it didn't sound like that, but gave the same stinging sensation.

_And just as I can see your past, I can see your future. _

_You will play a pivotal role in the days to come. _

_For this I have chosen you and drawn you into the Void._

The floating man paused. Again his dark vision over-shadowed Lelouch. He smiled as he could see the boy's breathless anticipation.

_You said you desire power. _

_The power to save yourself._

_The power to save your sister._

_The power to destroy Britannia._

_You desire power, do you not?_

Lelouch dared not lie.

"I do."

The Outsider answered, with a sinister smile across his face…

_I am the Outsider…and this is my mark._

Lelouch held his left hand up. Something was being etched onto the back of his hand. Miniature flames drew lines and circles across his skin like an electric pen tracing a tattoo. Finally, the flames disappeared, leaving no pain, only the seductive mark of the Outsider, the same mark he and Suzaku had seen on the carved bones. The Outsider was not done speaking.

_There are forces in the world and beyond the world, great forces that men call magic, and now, these forces will serve your will. _

_Use this newfound power, my gift to you._

The Outsider bowed slightly and raised his arms as if to mock Lelouch.

_Come and find me._

As the Outsider turned to ash and disappeared, he smirked.

Lelouch found himself alone again, atop the same floating chunk of rock. However, this rock was no longer alone. Lelouch saw before him a long array of other levitating constructs, some just suspended chunks of ground, others with remains of what looked like furniture and buildings.

Lelouch took this moment to get a clear a view of this mark. It was enticing in a way. Looking at it felt as if it was staring not only back at you, but past you, into your mind and soul. Lelouch was not frightened, however, because he just had a god gaze right through him with his black eyes.

"What does this mark actually do?"

Lelouch noticed that there was a major problem. The nearest platform to him was too far for him to traverse. Even with a running start, he simply could not make it that far and he knew it. Lelouch contemplated that maybe this was the worst torture of all. To be stuck and see a way out of your situation, but being unable to reach it.

Glancing again at the mark, words began to form in on his tongue. Lelouch trained his eyes on the closest object to him and let go.

"Su ftah!...shit!"

Lelouch was never one for physical health. As such, he almost couldn't pull himself up over the side. Landing in air just next to where he wanted to go, he was extremely lucky his reaction time was good enough (as bad as it was) to catch the ledge in time before he fell into the bottomless Void. He decided once was enough for now; he would never have guessed how taxing using magic was. If only there was a way to quickly restore his energy.

Luckily for him, the Outsider would provide.

Lelouch hadn't noticed the chest on the other side when he first landed on the rock. Lelouch had always been a curious boy, especially with the many books in his long ago home, the Imperial Palace, so he slowly approached the chest. It was small and ornate, with fine architecture, something akin to a Victorian era Britannian chest. Opening it revealed a mysterious glass vial containing a thick blue liquid. At one end of the tube there was a mechanism for drinking from it.

Lelouch was not an idiot. He was not afraid this was some poison the Outsider had concocted, so he drank it. The Outsider's mark illuminated itself for a moment and Lelouch felt like he had just awoken from a long, restful nap. His body felt invigorated and his magical energy (he had, at this point, not decided on a name for his ability to cast magic) was back to full strength. Lelouch tried to warp to the next point in his path, focusing on his target, and then…

"Su ftah!"

This time went much smoother, with Lelouch actually landing his two feet on the ground. It also wasn't as demanding on him as his first, in fact, he could feel his power regenerating to full strength. Quite a bit of pride was felt at learning how to control this power. "Blink" is what Lelouch decided to name it. As well, he decided to name his energy level for magic, "mana," after remembering reading about such a concept in a fantasy novel.

Now that he had a name down, what only remained now was to test the limits of this weapon, in order to perfect it and use it effectively against those who were his enemies. Within moments, Lelouch had "blinked" across every suspended landmass in the Void and was now standing before the end of his trial, a shrine to the Outsider, covered in violet lights and fabrics. Lelouch called, and finally, after moments of anticipation, the Outsider answered.

_In the days that follow, your trials will be great, Lelouch._

_Seek the ancient runes bearing my Mark in the lonely places of your world, and at shrines raised in my name._

_These runes will grant you powers beyond other men._

"That thing…that Suzaku and I found in the truck…is that…"

_Yes._

_A secret treasure of Clovis's._

_He knew it carried power, great power, within it._

_He studied it, attempted to unlock what was within._

_He tried to summon me, but I found him wanting._

_If he wants to meet me, he should try being a bit more interesting._

"My brother was never too interesting a person." The Outsider chuckled slightly at that.

_To help you find these runes, I give you this; the Heart of a Living Thing, molded by my hands._

_With this heart, you will hear many secrets, and it will guide you to my runes, no matter how they may be are hidden._

The god of the Void opened his right hand to allow a mutilated, half-machine heart to form from nothing and fall into his hand. Lelouch was drawn to it, same as the Outsider's eyes, or his rune, or his mark. Everything that had to do with the Outsider seemed to induce that same feeling. Meanwhile, the Outsider straightened himself, and prepared a blank face.

_How you use what I have given you falls upon you, as it has the others before you._

Others? Where there any marked ones right now? Lelouch had quite a few questions, but he remained quiet. The Outsider could see through him after all. If he wished to answer them he would.

_And now I return you to your world, but know that I will be watching you with great interest, Lelouch._

The exiled prince took one last view of the Outsider's Mark. He felt the power flowing through him.

* * *

"…Unfortunately, my clever young friend, you have no future." The captain told Lelouch.

Lelouch was back in the blood-soaked warehouse. Fresh corpses littered the ground like trash, but Lelouch was no longer afraid for his and Nunnally's life. He had asked for a god to give him power, and power, he had received. He arose, in upright defiance of the Royal Guard in front of him. Every weapon in the room was pointed at him, every weapon except the many smaller ones crawling about in the sewers and pipes below, or on the bodies, slowly digesting bits of flesh.

"Say, how should a Britannian who detests his own country live his life?" A rhetorical question, mused Lelouch. The Guard captain only seemed slightly entertained.

"Are you some kind of radical?" The captain questioned. He appeared disturbed by that sinister look in Lelouch's eye. What was he planning?

"What's wrong, why not shoot? Your opponent is just a school boy, or have you finally realized, the only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed." The Mark glowed its particular yellowish-blue.

"Wha-what's happening here?!" The captain's gun arm started shaking with fear.

"I, Lelouch vi Britannia, command you. Now all of you, die!" with that, he whispered something unintelligible to the guardsmen.

Both parties stood at a stand-off. Nothing seemed to be happening, until, the faintest noise could be heard. It grew slightly louder and louder until it could be distinguished; it was the scattering of thousands upon thousands of rodents. The pitter-patter surrounded them, coming from every direction, even underneath them. The captain quickly ordered his men to form a circle, for what little good it would do them. Lelouch's slight smirk widened until an evil grin stretched from ear to ear, for what he saw pleased him very much.

Rats, large, terrifying rats streamed out of every nook and cranny of the warehouse, even the bodies the guardsmen were stepping over. Every single one of them hungry, and their meal was the Royal Guard.

"FIRE AT WILL!" Rounds and rounds of ammunition were spent, but for each rat killed, ten more arrived. Soon, the soldiers were overwhelmed, their bodies began being torn apart from the bottom up by rats. Guardsmen that fell were swallowed whole by the rat swarm, their skin being chewed up, their organs ripped open and their blood spilling onto the floor. The screams of the dying guardsmen were reported by other squads nearly a mile away. When White knight caught word of this unnatural screeching, having heard the exact sounds from a radio operator in the field, nearly four platoons and two knightmares were sent to investigate.

Lelouch felt an almost orgasmic pleasure at seeing his enemies suffer and die before him. He may have been a little shocked by how much gore he had witnessed, but now he felt good. Very good, indeed. He had never held so much power before. Such raw power was…intoxicating.

Lelouch took a good, hard glance at the Mark. It glowed intensely.

"With this," Lelouch began, "I can defeat Britannia!"

* * *

**And so it begins.**

**Anyone else get the feeling that no matter what people say, you feel like whatever you write is complete garbage?**


	2. Sibling Rivalry

**If you choose to read my story, I would like to ask that you post of a review. It really helps.**

**Even if you read the first few lines and are absolutely appalled, please say so and think of a way I can improve my writing. Thanks.**

* * *

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." – John Dalberg-Acton

* * *

The stench was nearly unbearable by normal standards.

Lelouch, however, found it invigorating. It was a sign of his first, of many, victories to come. Inspecting the bodies, he saw that the rats were quite efficient in their work. Not much remained of the Royal Guard unit that was. Their corpses were, quite literally, stripped to the bone. Only little bits of flesh clung on, and even those were being picked by a few remaining rats. One of these, Lelouch picked up. It was such a cute little animal. Alone, it could do nothing but nip at your shoe. But in a group, it would rip you to shreds.

"A Devouring Swarm; that is what this power will be named. Blink and Devouring Swarm. I can't wait to find out what other powers this Mark will grant me."

Meanwhile, the massacre of the Shinjuku ghetto raged outside. Civilians were lined up and shot by the hundreds. Entire homes were set aflame by squadrons of knightmare frames. Genocide, in its purest form. Lelouch was sickened by it. What was even worse, Lelouch would say, was that the Britannian public was completely ignorant of it all! The greatest magic trick of all! Britannia murdered thousands every day, and none were the wiser! Lelouch was nearly compelled, on multiple occasions, to simply take Nunnally and leave for the European Union, to escape the terrible mixture of evilness and stupidity that was rampant in their home country. Lelouch stooped down to pull a combat knife from a mangled corpse's hands. Lelouch needed a weapon, and this would do fine. Blink would come in handy with this. Just warp behind someone, slice their throat, then warp away. Might make things a bit easy, Lelouch mused. Lelouch was taken from his imagination when he heard the voice of his own half-brother, Clovis, played from a speaker.

"Elevens! Do not fear! We only mean to help you escape these slums and relocate to a new and better home! Please evacuate your homes and show yourselves to the nearest military unit. You will be given the upmost importance! I, Clovis La Britannia, swear to this by my imperial title, Third Prince of the Empire!"

Lelouch laughed at the memory of his half-brother.

"Oh Clovis. Even though you were much older than me, you always were like a little brother to me. Although you weren't as smart as me, you did have a great talent for acting. Sadly, my dear brother, you will have to die."

As if to answer his threat, the wall farthest to Lelouch erupted in smoke and fire, and out came a Sutherland knightmare frame, aiming its massive .50 caliber rail-powered machine gun straight at Lelouch. It came to a sudden halt and did nothing for a while, simply standing there, like a colossus of Greek myth, until finally, a voice came streaming through an exterior speaker.

"What happened here, boy, and why is a Britannian student in a place like this?" It was more of a command than a question.

Lelouch, on the other hand, remained silent. What were his options? He almost lost the chance to think along with his head; the Sutherland blew down the wall behind him with its gun.

"Are you deaf? Answer me or I'll—"

"I order you to come out, at once."

What this boy had said surprised the knightmare pilot.

"Who they hell do you think you are to order me?" The boy remained unintimidated.

"My name is Alan Spacer. My father's a duke. My I.D. card is in my breast pocket. After you confirm who I am, I will request your protection."

Nobility? Villetta Nu did not trust this boy, but she had no choice. If he was telling the truth, and he, indeed, was a duke's son, she would be skinned alive if she killed him. She didn't like it, but she deactivated her knightmare and opened the cockpit.

"Keep your hands up in the air," Villetta barked, "I'll take out your I.D."

What! Villetta Nu couldn't believe her eyes! This boy just…just disappeared!

Lelouch had calculated the distance perfectly. He ended up right behind the pilot. He slid the knife from his pocket and readied to strike. The last thing Villetta Nu saw was a hand, illuminated a yellow-blue, cover her mouth, and a knife, come around and slit her throat.

Lelouch let the limp body of Britannian Purist, Villetta Nu, drop to the ground. The deed was done, and his knife was bloody. He looted the pistol and two full clips from the corpse and then turned to look at the large metal construct behind him. Its freshly painted violet armor dazzled in the sunlight. Lelouch could not operate it without the needed code, and so he decided to destroy the key drive and leave the knightmare there, as a monument to what he had done.

"SOOOO are we having a bad day?"

Bright light and white metal walls filled a cramped room. An ambulance, by the looks of it. Three people resided in it. Two of them were standing; Dr. Lloyd Asplund and Cécile Croomy. The other had just awoken, laying on a fold-up bed; Suzaku Kururugi.

"Looks like you missed a chance to go to heaven, Private Kururugi." Lloyd Asplund was a very joking and upbeat scientist born in the nobility. He only seemed to be interested in his creations.

"I did—eugh…where?" Suzaku looked down to see his lower abdomen covered with bandage wrapping. He could feel lots of padding on a spot on his back.

"Ah, where still in the Shinjuku Ghetto." Lloyd answered.

"With Prince Clovis nearby this is probably the safest place anywhere." Cécile Croomy was the incredibly nice and motherly assistant of the Earl, Dr. Asplund. Those two had a very strange and platonic friendship.

"This is what saved your life, Mr. Suzaku," Cécile continued, pulling out a small, broken pocketwatch.

"You're lucky that was under your protective suit because that's what deflected the bullet." Dr. Asplund chimed in.

"Is it a keepsake?" Cécile inquired. Suzaku took the watch and looked at it. It would never work again.

"Yes, very," was all Suzaku could say.

"You Elevens believe that gods live inside of everything, even objects, don't you?" Suzaku ignored the Dr.'s comment. He perked up when he remembered Lelouch.

"Is Lelou—…what's the latest on the situation?"

The Doctor turned solemn.

"It looks like the poison gas has been released. Massive Eleven casualties have been reported."

Suzaku couldn't help but think of Lelouch. Did he really meet with his friend back there? Did it actually happen?

"Private Kururugi, how much experience do you have with piloting a knightmare frame?" Suzaku took this question with surprise and interest.

"But there's no way for an Eleven to be made a knight?"

"Well supposing you could…"

The wind blew strong across the top of the ruined building, causing Lelouch's hair to flutter. All around him, the tell-tale signs of battle erupted. Fires burned near and far. Explosions and gunfire could be heard with a deafening volume. Death was everywhere, and Lelouch was here to add at least one more death to the tolls. The death of Clovis, Third Prince of the Empire.

Lelouch kneeled on the roof and took out one of the gifts he had been given by the Outsider; the Heart of a Living Thing. As he grabbed it, it began to beat. His vision altered as well. He could see what runes were littered throughout the city, the Heart beating faster when he gazed upon one from far away. He remembered what the Outsider had said about the "secrets" the Heart would tell him. He allowed an ounce of energy into the Heart.

"Seven years ago, many died here in defense of their country. Now, many that are defenseless die because of their country."

No. No. No. No. No. Lelouch nearly threw the Heart over the edge. He simply could not believe it. The voice the Heart had spoken to him with was like silk, warm and comforting.

It was the voice of his mother.

Lelouch talked to the Heart. He needed to know if that truly was his mother in there. No answer.

Lelouch stood and straightened himself. It was not his mother. Only an empty shell, with the same voice.

There was a rune directly below him, in the basement of the burnt out apartments. He would seek out the artifact of power, in order to get his mind over the past.

The journey downwards was tough. His Blink ability made it much easier, but it was still rather difficult. He had no idea when exactly the ceiling or the floor might decide to cave in on him. He counted several times that quick thinking had saved him from being squished by falling rubble. Only did he thank the Outsider when he made it to the ground floor in one piece.

He found himself in a restaurant. A restaurant that may have, at one point, been filled with families and friends, stories in the air, and drinks and food to brighten the soul of many an oppressed Eleven. What remained were empty chairs at empty tables, accompanied by a silence which was only disturbed by the rumbling from outside. No families sat eating, enjoying the presence of each other. No friends leaned against the bar, telling tales of their adventures. Nothing like that anymore.

Lelouch respected the dead. Even if he did not believe in services or moments of silence for them, he dared not disturb their place of rest. He made sure to step over each and every overturned chair and bar stool on his way to the basement.

The basement served as both a cellar and meat locker. The Heart told him the rune was located in the very back of the meat locker. Lelouch swore the heads of the pigs were watching him. The freezing room ended with nothing but an air vent, which Lelouch promptly used his knife to pry open. What revealed itself on the other side was a shrine, much akin to the one he had seen in his dream with the Outsider. A pedestal, built with charred wood and wire, carried on it a single rune, made out of bone. Lelouch lifted it, feeling the same dark energy from the one in the truck, and quickly stashed it in his back pocket. His world immediately turned to black as the Outsider appeared to Lelouch for the second time.

_My dear Lelouch._

_Are you enjoying these powers I gave you?_

_I hope they aren't boring you._

The Outsider had a small grin of dark delight on his face. His eyes were as black as ever.

"I must thank you, Outsider. Without your gifts, I wouldn't be alive right now. I also wouldn't be able to accomplish what I intend to do today."

_I saw what you did to those men and that woman._

_You don't even feel the slightest amount of guilt._

_Has it ever occurred to you that they might have ones that care for them, same as you?_

_People that may have missed them if they were to leave._

"It has occurred to me. I've thought of this long before you first appeared. They were soldiers, not innocents. They got exactly what they signed up for."

_Oh Lelouch, as brash and stubborn as ever. _

_One of these days, someone you know and care for will be hurt by your actions._

"Nunnally will never be hurt. I will make sure of that."

_If there's one thing I could tell every human, it's that nothing you do will ever make something certain._

And with that, the Outsider faded into ash and left Lelouch to continue on with his mission.

"…but this may be our only chance to test the Lancelot!"

"I will hear none of it, Lloyd. My decision is final. Farewell."

The Earl, Lloyd Asplund, was disconnected from the G1 Command Center. His finest creation, the Lancelot, would not see battle experience today.

"That rune must be found..." Prince Clovis's mind was abuzz with activity. Chief of all was the desire to find that rune. It was his most prized possession. He felt most comfortable when it was with him, and now, when he gives it to the Rosenberg Institute, petty terrorists steal it! He swears that once it is found, it will never leave his side. He hoped his sweating wasn't visible to his staff officers.

"Bartley will pay for this!"

The defensive perimeter around the G1 Command Center was in a triangular formation, the G1 in the center and the point of the formation at the entrance into the ghetto. In total, 13 knightmares, 2 main battle tanks, and at least a company of men were stationed around the G1. This number did not include hostiles Lelouch could not see from his spot on the 26th floor of an abandoned apartment complex. To put it bluntly, Lelouch was stumped. He did not see a way to safely infiltrate the G1 without being spotted. His school uniform would be spotted quite easily.

Just before Lelouch had given up, he spotted a small opportunity. Through a hole in the floor, he could see two soldiers, not in the view of anyone else, taking a slight break from the hell of war. Lelouch felt a bit daring, so he grinned, and prepared to move out.

Meanwhile, at ground level, a private finished nature's business and prepared to move out with his fellow trooper, a corporal.

"Think you'll get your own squad after what happened last night?"

"Chances are pretty good."

Neither of them were paying any attention what so ever to their surroundings, as they failed to notice an armed black coated individual about to strike from above.

Kallen Kōzuki was running out of time. Her one-armed Glasgow only had ten minutes left of battery power. This chase would last at least 15.

"You pathetic Eleven, this chase doesn't have much in the way of sport if you simply run away."

Jeremiah Gottwald was enjoying his job very much. He hadn't experienced proper combat in at least, what, three months maybe? Ever since he was chosen as leader of the Purist faction in Area 11 he's seen more desk work than fighting.

But that didn't matter at the moment. He was hot on the tail of a stolen Britannian Glasgow, and Jeremiah was impressed. Whoever was piloting that red outdated knightmare was rather crafty. Always taking the most unexpected turns and showing a very high aptitude for maneuvering his knightmare, Jeremiah almost lost him a couple of times in the ruins, but he wouldn't be shaken off so easily.

"Like a hound chasing a fox."

Kallen was getting desperate. This goddamn Britannian couldn't get the simple message of "fuck off!" She took the corner on Kirihara Street, where other resistance fighters had prepared an ambush. She strained her knightmare to the full extent of its abilities, forcing it to leap over the erected barricade of crushed cars and rubble. What neither Kallen nor the rebels noticed was a reconnaissance helicopter flying above. Jeremiah knew exactly what to expect.

"Simple-minded Eleven. A couple of amateurs armed with rocket launchers won't stop Jeremiah Gottwald!"

Rounding the corner, Jeremiah opened fire wildly, catching a few insurgents with his rail gun. His Sutherland brushed through the barricade and continued its pursuit of its Glasgow prey, every rocket fired at it missing its target by miles.

"Shit! Why. Won't. You. Just. Go. Away!"

Kallen faced her pursuer and fired both slash harkens, one missing, one knocking the rail gun out of the Sutherland's hands.

"Yes!"

"You fool. You have forgotten that I have slash harkens as well!"

The Sutherland returned fire with its own slash harkens, destroying the Glasgow's remaining arm and disabling its landspinners.

"Now I have you!"

The red knightmare fled, being reduced to running with its legs instead of using landspinners, significantly reducing its top speed, but also increasing its ability to traverse rough terrain, something Kallen Kōzuki would use to her advantage. She would have to hurry though. Her Glasgow would only operate for three more minutes.

"Come on girl, don't fail me now."

Kallen rushed into an all but destroyed parking garage with Jeremiah right on her heels. She would lose him here, or she would die. The two of them danced around the pillars and destroyed cars like a ballet of war machines.

"You're trapped now, Eleven." Jeremiah fired his slash harkens. Both of them missed and ended up destroying two pillars holding the ceiling up.

"No matter. There's nowhere for you to go." Jeremiah said mockingly.

This pattern continued on. Jeremiah would launch his slash harkens, only to have them miss and hit a part of the building. Finally, the Britannian Margrave had trapped the little red Glasgow in a corner. Jeremiah felt like a taunt was coming on.

"Any last words, Eleven?"

"Yeah. Look up."

Jeremiah appeased the Glasgow and looked up. What he saw made his stomach drop. A giant crack had formed in the ceiling, which was about to cave in.

"Aaaaaagh!"

Kallen caught the Sutherland off guard, tackling it and knocking it over, before continuing onward.

"Only 30 seconds left!"

Jeremiah, on the other hand, couldn't believe what was happening. First he was tricked into trapping himself, then he was caught off guard by a measly Eleven!

"Damn it!" He had no choice but to let the Glasgow go. Firing his slash harkens into a nearby wall, he broke through, retreating.

Kallen couldn't tell if she was more worried about the ten seconds left in her knightmare, or the ceiling falling on top of her.

"Come on baby go go go!"

Cars exploded and the walls collapsed around her. She could see the exit! Suddenly, the crack above couldn't handle any more stress, and gave way to tons and tons of crushed cars and building foundation, blocking her escape. Kallen cursed out loud and frantically searched for an exit while the garage fell down around her. There it was! A small busted hole in a wall off to the side! Activating the joints in the knightmare's legs, the red Glasgow bolted off. Only five seconds left to go.

5.

She tried firing her slash harkens to break open the cement wall.

4.

"Shit! They're jammed."

3.

The entirety of the ceiling collapsed.

2.

Kallen recognized her chances, and prayed.

1.

…

…

…

Kallen was greeted by red emergency lights when she awoke. The left side of her head was bruised, and the knightmare was laying on her side. She came to her senses slowly, unsure whether minutes or hours had passed since her chase with the Sutherland. She reached for the cockpit release lever, and pulled, draining a considerable amount of strength. It didn't open. She looked behind her and saw the switch for an emergency opening of the cockpit. She lifted the protective covering, and then smashed the button, activating the explosive bolts in the top of the cockpit, forcing it open.

Kallen carefully and methodically raised herself out of her destroyed knightmare. The parking garage had fallen in on itself and her knightmare was completely wrecked. No amount of salvage and jury-rigging could repair it. Jumping off and landing on her feet caused her to topple over in pain. Her leg was twisted. Hah, now she could play her stupid school persona with a little believability. She pulled herself up, grabbing the red Glasgow with her arms. She limped a couple meters in the direction of what she thought was safety, paused, then thanked whatever god had saved her from death.

Clovis La Britannia paced back and forth worriedly in front of his throne in the G1 control room. The rebels had been defeated. All the remaining stragglers were being taken care off. Britannia had won the day with almost no casualties.

But where was the rune? Wouldn't they have heard from the Royal Guard by now?

General Bartley's head sprang up.

"Your highness! Kinsley's squad has arrived at the location where the Royal Guard were last known to be. They located the bodies of all the missing Royal Guardsmen and the missing knightmare pilot that reported to have made it to the sight before Kinsley. However," General Bartley appeared embarrassed, "the object that resided with the stolen research truck has not been found."

Clovis La Britannia's face was bursting with red like a ripe strawberry.

"Your highness, this is only a minor mishap! The rune will be found! I promise!"

"All of you…Get out of here!"

"You-your highness?"

"Get out of here and find me my treasure!"

General Bartley sweated uncontrollably and faced his fellow staff officers. He motioned for all of them to leave, and they did. They were all as scared of Prince Clovis as he was. Soon, the G1 control room was all but empty. Clovis laid himself down upon his throne, frantic about his precious rune.

"I'll have my rune soon enough. I know I will. I know, I know I will."

Clovis began a fit of hysterical laughing which was only cut short by the sudden deactivation of power within the G1. Nothing worked; not the lights, not the security cameras, nothing. Now, instead of being scared that he wouldn't see his precious treasure again, he was afraid he wouldn't see the sun again.

"Who's there? Sh-show yourselves!" The fear in the royal prince's voice was all too obvious.

Nothing revealed themselves from the shadows, feeding Clovis's trembling.

"I, Clovis, Third Prince of Britannia, order you to show yourself at once!"

Clovis blinked once and saw that a figure had appeared in front of him. He was armed.

"Who are you?!" Clovis's voice was half a scream and half a whimper.

The shadowy figure did not answer, instead, it chose to steadily walk towards the throne, a pistol in hand. Clovis tried to push himself away, succeeding in nothing.

"St-stay back! I order you to stay back!"

The shadowy figure stepped forward and placed a pistol directly on the center of Clovis's forehead.

Clovis closed his eyes and prepared for the inevitable.

"Do you think we can get all of them out of the ghettos alive?" Kallen asked Ohgi. This particular garage used by the rebels had been cleared out to take in many hundred refugees. Many of them stunk of death, sweat and tears. Many had soiled their clothes. None had anywhere to go. Those damn Britannians. Kallen was nearly reduced to tears by what that godforsaken empire had done to her people.

"I'm not sure. Maybe we could sneak them out through the sewers."

"Stop crying! I said stop crying! Stop crying!" Tamaki, the dumbest, most brash rebel Kallen had ever met was threatening a poor woman.

"Tamaki lay off her!" Ohgi intervened before Tamaki accidently shot the woman.

"Heh, sorry man, just trying to get the bitch to shut up." Ohgi was not pleased with this answer.

"Tamaki, go upstairs and check on Sunohara."

"Alright, I'm going. Shut this bitch up for me will ya?" Ohgi did not answer Tamaki as he left.

Kallen had a look of disgust.

"Can I kill him?"

"No, you can't. No matter what he does, he's one of us."

"He's not one of us. He's an asshole."

The sounds of heavy fighting had relatively died down when Ohgi had an idea pop into his head,

"Kallen! Kallen!"

Ohgi got up from his dirty seat in the corner and began to run to Kallen, who was on the other side of the hideout. He was loudly interrupted by a Britannian tank busting down the main door.

"So this is where you Eleven scurried off to! Prepare to fire!"

Kallen covered her face with her arms and screamed her brother's name.

"Commence—"

"Attention all forces!"

"Wha—"

"Ceasefire at once!"

"Ceasefire?!" Clovis himself was ordering a ceasefire on an open channel?

"I, Clovis, Third Prince of Britannia and Royal Viceroy of Area 11, hereby command you, all forces are ordered to cease fire at once! You will also cease destruction of any buildings or property! All casualties, whether Britannian or Eleven, shall be treated equally and without prejudice! In the name of Clovis La Britannia, you are hereby ordered, ceasefire at once! I shall allow no further fighting!

Clovis eased himself into his throne when the gun was lifted from his head. His usual, cool, calm attitude returned to him.

"Are you satisfied?" Clovis asked the man brave or foolish enough to blackmail him.

"Yes, very. Well done."

"What shall we do now, sing a few lively ballads? Or perhaps a nice game of chess?"

"That has a familiar ring."

Clovis raised an eyebrow to this.

"Don't you recall? We used to play chess together as boys. Of course, I would always win."

Clovis's eyes widened at that.

"Remember? At the Aries Villa?"

Clovis couldn't take it anymore.

"You! Who are you?!"

The figure threw off the helmet he was wearing to reveal a head of quite long black hair.

"It's been a long time, big brother." Lelouch said with a sinister smile.

Clovis could not believe this madness.

"Lelouch? But I thought…"

"That I was dead? You were wrong."

Lelouch knelt, still wearing that sinister grin.

"Son of the late imperial consort Marianne and seventeenth in line to the imperial throne, Lelouch Vi Britannia, at your service."

Clovis was speechless.

"I have returned, your highness, and I've come back to change everything."

In a flash, Lelouch had teleported directly in front of Clovis, combat knife in hand. He grabbed Clovis by his cloak, reached back, and struck his knife dead center into Clovis's chest. Clovis's last glimpse of life showed Lelouch's indifferent face. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but failed to emit any noise. Quite soon, Clovis, Third Prince of Britannia, no longer struggled to escape Lelouch's grasp. He fell to the ground with thump.

Lelouch had done it. He had taken his first big step on the journey to his destiny. With his own hands, he had killed his half-brother. And with those hands he would kill his father, and make him pay for what he had done.

Lelouch, arrived home very late, same as the last few nights. Only, this time he came with a few souvenirs. He hung his school's signature coat on a hangar and preceded to the kitchen. After enjoying a nice bowl of easy-make ramen, he quietly peered through the door to his sister, Nunnally's, room.

"Fast asleep," Lelouch whispered with a smile. He creped over to Nunnally's bedside and knelt down.

"Beautiful, as always."

Lelouch was glad, that after hours of bloodshed and fighting, he could see his sister's face. He stayed by her side for perhaps an hour, making his way to his own room afterwards. All clean. Sayoko, their faithful caretaker, had been through here. Fortunately, for him, Sayoko never managed to find his secret room. Pulling a nameless book off of the bookcase activated the cogs that moved the bookcase to the side, revealing a downward staircase. Lelouch retrieved a candle from one of the various wooden cabinets in his room and took the stairwell down to the empty room.

Lelouch gently laid the candle on the ground and extracted the two runes he had gathered. Placing one on each side of the candle, He mused that this was a little shrine of his own. As with the shrine in the meat locker, the world seeped into darkness, and the Outsider blinked into existence.

_My dear Lelouch._

_You have surprised me._

_I thought you would be a little more hesitant to kill your own brother._

_Instead, you acted as if you had rehearsed for that moment every day of your life._

_If I may ask, why did you kill him?_

"He had ordered the massacre of thousands of innocent men, women, and children as carelessly as swatting an insect. He was a monster. He deserved to die."

That was Lelouch's rationalization, of course.

_And, yet, he was your brother._

_He may have only been half, but you two were still blood._

_I wonder, do you realize the greater impact of your actions?_

The Outsider looked slightly mischievous.

"Of course I do," Lelouch answered, "Britannia has lost one of its commanders and that uncaring bastard of an emperor has lost one of his sons."

_But, did you ever stop and think of what others close to him would feel when they learned of his passing?_

"No one was close to him."

_That is where you are wrong, my dear Lelouch._

_His mother, Gabrielle, was very close to him indeed._

_I can see what will happen to her when she hears of his death._

_Would you like to see as well?_

"Yes."

Lelouch opened his eyes and saw Gabrielle La Britannia, wife to Emperor Charles Zi Britannia.

_As you can see, she quickly seeps into a hard depression._

_This soon leads to a sickness which doctors cannot identify._

_A coma envelops her, one that she never awakes from._

Lelouch felt hollow inside.

_Do you see what effects your actions have?_

"Gabrielle was a jealous woman. She hated seeing Charles with other women and she especially hated my mother."

_But did she deserve death?_

Lelouch did not answer that.

_You fascinate me Lelouch._

_Farewell for now._

Lelouch gazed into the candle, and cursed himself.

Closing the hidden door, Lelouch plopped down onto his bed, clothes still attached, and had the best sleep he had gotten in a while.

* * *

**Yes. I killed off Villetta. Sorry, Ohgi.**

**darkkrt: Ask, and you shall recieve.**

**Bboy46: Still, I go off and read from some of my favorite novels, and I feel guilty that I don't write nearly as good as John Green or George Orwell.**

**mastermind: Honestly, did you ever see Lelouch as a low-chaos kind of guy?**

**Please review my humble story. It doesn't take that very long to post one.**


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